Monday, April 21, 2014

Patagonia: an inside perspective

Kaleb Goff, a participant in the Winter 2014 program Natural History of the Patagonian Cordillera: Argentina and Chile, shares his enthusiasm for nature and experiential learning in this wonderful essay. Why not let nature be YOUR classroom?

In
modern Western society, education is dominated by a paradigm that works to be
as efficient as possible - imparting knowledge to students through a stream of
facts and information. This form of education is particularly extreme at many universities,
and millions of students pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for this
institutionalized approach to education, aiming to absorb required facts and
hopefully apply this information to a set of skills which are determined
depending upon an intended career path. Around this dominating and ironic
modern educational system lies a plethora of other techniques - from the
autodidactical to the heavily institutionalized. Education forms also exist in
a wide variety of settings, from the dark and musty concrete lecture hall of
500 students to the vast and windswept Patagonian Steppe. So called “outdoor
education” is a broad educational dogma that removes the student from the
classroom setting and aims to divert the constant stream of spoon-fed
information, ideally creating an educational paradigm that is dynamic and
question-driven, promotes the hands-on development of practical skills, and
harnesses the evolutionary and evident need for the connection between humans
and the more-than-human world. Outdoor education in our modern civilization
fundamentally seeks balance - to balance the efficiency of institutionalized
education with the advantages of outdoor education is an immense challenge and
a worthy pursuit.

This course, Sierra Institute Patagonia 2014,
is its own unique form of outdoor education, nuanced with its own personal
challenges and triumphs. From my perspective, this course focuses particularly
on combining the personal and academic aspects of being a student, which is
particularly applicable due to the nature of studying natural history - it is
truly happening at every moment. Also, this course has a particular focus on
teaching students how to learn, which truly means breaking down the habit of
instant information and promoting self-driven, question-based learning that
each student has a personal relationship with and responsibility towards. The
course dives headlong into the challenges of combining an intimate group
dynamic with a rigorous academic schedule and the challenges that the natural
world can bring to conducting classes.

My personal experience in this course has
been profound, challenging and wondrous. I began this course with some
background knowledge, as a 3rd year Plant Science student. I had completed
basic courses and begun some of the more advanced topics in the university
setting, as well as personally learning and exploring the skills of a
naturalist. Reflecting on it now, I knew very little of what was taught during
this course, and the academic content of the course was a perfect extension of
my background knowledge. Much of what this course explored academically is not
immediately taught in the university, some not taught at all (for example
botany is a class generally taken late in college, and there is no class at
UCSC I know of that details the entire Kingdom Plantae and its varied and
beautiful life cycles). All this said, I learned a tremendous amount
academically, and more specifically I learned a tremendous amount about things
I love and care about immensely. This experience has been one that will
continue to nourish me academically in the future.

I have gained more than ever could be formed
into words and paragraphs. I gained a wider view of our home, the Earth. I
gained academic knowledge that I will use to look more closely and make tighter
connections in my love and exploration of this world. I learned how to travel,
live and learn with a group of 10 other people, and how to relate on all of
these levels simultaneously. I also gained a more open perspective of myself as
an outdoor educator and facilitator, which I hope to explore more deeply in the
years to come.

In
conclusion - I am overwhelmed by the immensity of this experience. It is one
that will continue to nourish me for the rest of my life, in my pursuit of
being the deepest lover and student of the Earth that I can possibly be.
Moreover, my inspiration to facilitate others in their observation and learning
about our home has greatly grown, and I will not cease to share what I have
learned on this trip with all I meet. My wholehearted and ardent gratitude for
all that has been given to me on this trip. May it continue to shine.

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About the Sierra Institute

The Sierra Institute presents an educational experience that complements academics with hands-on learning. We believe that learning about nature, whether through the study of natural history or the reading of environmental literature and philosophy, is best done in an outdoor setting.

Few people today have the opportunity to spend an extended period of time in the wilderness or immersed in another culture. By backpacking and base camping in the wilderness, both in America and other countries, our programs access remote locations that promote study and self-exploration. By living and working with people from diverse cultures we gain new perspectives of others and ourselves.

To learn more about upcoming Sierra Institute programs, visit extension.ucdavis.edu/sierra.